New Zealand work visas offer skilled workers and overseas workers with job offers from accredited employers the opportunity to live and work in New Zealand.
THE NEW ZEALAND WORK VISAS
- SKILLED MIGRANT VISA
The Skilled Migrant Visa grants residence to migrants with skills needed in New Zealand.
- ACCREDITED EMPLOYER WORK VISA
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) lets migrants with job offers from accredited New Zealand employers live and work in New Zealand.
MORE ABOUT WORK VISAS
Let’s take a closer look at New Zealand's work visas:
THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
New Zealand’s work visas don’t have a shared set of basic requirements. Instead, each visa has unique requirements. These are the main requirements of each visa:
- Skilled Migrant Visa: Applicants must be under 55 and have skilled employment in New Zealand or an offer of skilled employment
- AEWV: Applicants must have an offer of employment from an accredited employer and earn at least the median wage unless exempt.
THE SKILL SHORTAGE LISTS:
New Zealand used to have three skills shortage lists associated with Long Term Skill Shortage Work Visa and the Essential Skills Work Visa.
However, these visas are no longer open for applications. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) replaced the Long Term Skill Shortage Work Visa and the Essential Skills Work Visa.
The AEWV has a Green List of occupations. AEWV applicants with an occupation on this list can qualify for a pathway or a fast track to residence. It is not necessary, however, to have an occupation on the Green List to apply for an AEWV.
ANZSCO:
ANZSCO, 'Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations', is relevant to the Skilled Migrant Visa.
It’s a system that sets the standards for the skills and work experience that visa applicants must meet to work in a specific occupation in New Zealand or Australia.
Further to this, ANZSCO sets out the tasks that visa applicants must be able to perform as part of their everyday duties.
In other words, ANZSCO determines the most important requirements visa applicants must meet to live and work in New Zealand.
HOW TO APPLY:
There isn’t one standard way to apply for skilled migration. Instead, each skilled migration visa has a unique application process. Please see the individual visa pages on our website for more information or speak with our licensed advisor for advice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I GET A WORK VISA FOR NEW ZEALAND?
To get a work visa for New Zealand, a migrant must meet all of the visa requirements and submit a visa application that Immigration New Zealand approves.
WHICH JOBS ARE IN DEMAND IN NEW ZEALAND?
The New Zealand government has given several key industries the green light to recruit from overseas due to a shortage of suitable workers in New Zealand. These industries range from healthcare to construction:
- Healthcare
- Healthcare Technology
- Information Technology
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Construction
- Education
- Engineering
- Science
- Energy Sector Jobs
- Tourism and Hospitality
- Business and Finance
It is estimated that New Zealand will need nearly 40,000 new workers annually up to 2028 to reach the country’s projected GDP growth rate. Employment growth will be strongest for highly-skilled occupations, including managers and professionals.
CAN I MOVE TO NEW ZEALAND WITHOUT A JOB?
Migrants who apply for the Skilled Migrant Visa and the Accredited Employer Work Visa must have a job or job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer.
WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM AGE TO EMIGRATE TO NEW ZEALAND?
To apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa, applicants must be under 55. There aren’t age limits for the Accredited Employer Work Visa, Entrepreneur Visa, Active Investor Plus Visa, Partner visas, or Parent visas.
CAN A FRIEND SPONSOR ME TO NEW ZEALAND?
Friends can’t act as sponsors for work visa applicants. The only people who are eligible sponsors are family members and employers. When it’s a family member, the person must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
